Where would you fire one spread of torpedoes between 1900 and 1999?
Short answerScharnhorst and Gneisenau at the outbreak of World War II are one choice, with the aim of preserving Glorious; alternatives include Bismarck's launch, the Russo-Japanese War, and Jutland.
NotesAlex Clarke chooses Scharnhorst and Gneisenau around 1 September 1939, although he is unsure whether the relevant base was Kiel or Wilhelmshaven. Removing them at the outset would, in this counterfactual, disrupt the Norwegian campaign and prevent the loss of Glorious. The surviving carrier could then reinforce the attacks at Taranto and possibly Mers-el-Kébir. Other proposals include Bismarck at launch, the Japanese battle line while Makarov was still alive, and the High Seas Fleet at Jutland. A damaged German flagship might draw other ships into an attempted rescue and allow British gunfire to finish them, while a strike during the fleet's return could provoke fears of a hidden British submarine deployment. The Jutland proposal does not necessarily change the outcome of the war. A later suggestion broadens the opening-war strike to German commerce raiders, although their presence together depends on the date selected.